The PS Vita is a great portable console, but the system software does have a long way to go before it can be called “perfect”. Like the PSP before it, Sony released firmware updates to add and update features on the console, making it better with each major update. The next big update to the PS Vita will be Firmware v2.0, and here is what we want to see included.

There are a lot of things that could be tweaked and changed on the PS Vita. Far too many for us to cover, and definitely far too many for Sony to action all in one go. The below list covers the features we want to see the most in the next major firmware update.

Auto-Update and Background Downloads

If you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber, the PS3 automatically downloads firmware updates and game patches while you sleep, meaning you waste less time downloading patches when you actually just want to play. The PS Vita would benefit from such a feature, however, it should only be enabled when the PS Vita is plugged-in so your battery isn’t wasted when you are on the go.

Full Remote Play

Is is one feature everyone is hoping for – the ability to play any PS3 game using Remote Play. This feature would definitely be a system seller for Sony. Being able to play a full PS3 game from anywhere in the house (via Wi-fi), or even on the go (via 3G) would be a great plus for PS3 and PS Vita owners. It would also be useful if screenshots could be taken in the Remote Play app.

PS Vita Themes

The PS3 and PSP both support themes – allowing users to customise the console’s colours, fonts, icons etc – something that is missing from the Vita. We would love to see theme support as well as dynamic themes on the portable console. For now, at lease users can customise the wallpaper and have a different one for each page.

Flash Support

PS Vita users are restricted when it comes to surfing the net on their console. For example, YouTube doesn’t work in the browser, but there is an app coming to address the issue. It would be great to see Flash support on the console, like both the PS3 and PSP already have. It would let users use sites like Vimeo and enjoy flash games.

Faster Screenshots

It’s annoying that the PS Vita takes a few seconds to take and save screenshots. We’re hoping Sony can speed this up so gamers can take more screenshots quicker. If not, at lease remove the “Please wait” dialog so gamers can continue to play a game.

PS3 Controller

Something that was announced by Sony back in August 2011 was that the PS Vita could be used to control a PS3, either as a replacement for the DualShock 3 or as a second screen. Neither of the two ever became a reality, except for the upcoming patch for LittleBigPlanet 2. It would be great to see the Vita work as a universal controller for all PS3 games, using the rear touch pad to replace the L2/R2 and L3/R3 buttons.

Folders

The PS Vita is limited to 10 pages of Apps / Games, with each page supporting a maximum of 10 items (100 items in total). This can easily be used up if you consider the amount of content available on the Vita – minis titles, apps, PSP titles, PS Vita titles etc. Folders would make this a bit easier to manage. For example, we can then group our apps or games into sub-folders.

Use of Buttons

Almost all the PS Vita apps use the touch screen as the sole method of input, which can be a bit annoying. Adding button support to the apps would help in some cases, e.g. using the arrows to scroll the browser to make reading easier, browse photos quickly, or control video playback.

Save Icon Ordering / Preferences

If you’ve even tried to sway your PS Vita memory card, you will notice that it re-orders all the content – it basically forgets the order you put your icons in. This is petty annoying if you have more than one memory card. The PS Vita should remember your preferences so if you need to sway your memory card, it will retain your icon order.

Browser Multi-Tasking

At the moment, you cannot use the Vita’s browser app while playing games. Pretty annoying if you need to quickly look-up something but don’t have access to another device. The ability to use the browser while playing a game would be beneficial to most gamers.

Blue-tooth File Sharing

The PSP let users beam photos from one console to another, making photo sharing so much easier. This isn’t something that is available on the PS Vita, despite it’s Wi-fi and blue-tooth capabilities. This is another feature that should be added in. For now, users can at lease message photos to friends using the [Group Messaging] app.

PSOne and PS2 Classics

PSOne classics are coming very soon, but it would be great if PS2 classics were also supported on the device. The PS Vita hardware could easily handle PS2 games so why stop at just adding PSOne classics support.

19 comments on “What We Want to See in PS Vita Firmware v2.0”

I want it to have youtube, and psone classic compatibility..
Realistically all it will feature will be “security updates” because that’s all they include in there past updates for both the vita and ps3 recently…

i wanna to be able to see who is text messaging me , it only says you got message but doesnt say from whom, i want to be able to check the message and friend online without having to log out from an online game just like the ps3

The only thing from the list that I really want to add is to be able to use the internet browser during gameplay. This makes so much sense for guides, hints etc especially if a Java update allows youtube access.

It would be nice to be able to see my trophies from my PS3 but wouldn’t that be a PS3 firmware update rather than Vita?

The only thing I really really want to be able to do is play HD classics on the Vita. Remote play is all well and good but it will really drain the battery and it’s no good if you’re on a train or aeroplane or you don’t have decent 3G. Allow us to copy games like Ico, Shadows, God of War 1&2 and possibly even PSN games like Journey and the Vita would be a lot more popular.

After reading this list it made me realize how satisfied I am with the vita overall. None of this list is of any major importance to me. It has everything that I want in a handheld. The only one that would be cool is to allow the browser to run while games are playing.

I wanna be able to delete a Vita game while keeping the save data. It’s possible on the PS3, PSP and minis, and there’s no possible explanation for the fact that it’s not allowed on Vita. When I delete a game to make space on the memory card, I just lose all my save data.

Its the PSP and PS3 all over again. Waiting years to get firmware updates that in the end dont deliver everything you want. I waited for years hoping a firmware update would be released to improve music playback on the PSP…never arrived. In the end they released a music app that didn’t offer too much more in the way of standard playback features.

Since going with an Android device I find there is an app for everything. Sony needs to open the Vita up so developers can release apps so Vita owners aren’t waiting for years for new functionality. Vita could certainly do with something like vlc player so having to convert videos becomes a thing of the past.

Playstation Mobile should help with that. We already have people making remote Windows desktop apps. It shouldn’t be hard for someone to make a competent music player, web browser, etc as long as Sony don’t act like a bunch of tards and block those.

How many of us would love to stick the Near, Welcome Pak and whatever else we don’t use into one folder and call it “lame”. I only have 3 screens of content ATM, but the 3rd one has maybe 5 icons I never use.

Oh, and the ability to separate save files from actual game data, without syncing to PS3. The ability to delete 1 save file if the user wants.